The present disclosure relates to techniques for sorting parcels, and more specifically, to implementations of an apparatus having a routing manifold and diverter system.
The shipment of parcels typically involves the intake of parcels at a warehouse or other suitable location, moving the parcels to different locations within the warehouse during processing, and loading the parcels onto trucks or other transport vehicles for external distribution. The processing of the parcels at the warehouse may include one or more sorting operations. For example, a sortation system may sort and distribute parcels to a plurality of stations where associates manually aggregate the distributed parcels (e.g., add parcels to a pallet or container). The parcels may be sorted and/or aggregated according to one or more criteria, such as associated destination information.
Within sorting operations, there may be some time periods in which parcels are provided to the stations at a reduced rate. During these periods, the associates may be waiting or otherwise underutilized. In some cases, the sortation system may perform an accumulation or buffering function, enabling the associates to be utilized elsewhere in the warehouse until a significant number of parcels are available for aggregation. Further, the aggregation of parcels can require associates to manually transport parcels between different locations in the warehouse, which is generally a less efficient use of the associates.